News
LG polls: PM accused of violating election laws, EC urged to act
As the Election Commission (EC) finalised arrangements for the conduct of the Local Government polls today (06), election watchdog PAFFREL has accused Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya of having urged NPP supporters to campaign during the silent period.
PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi in a letter, dated May 5, 2025, addressed to EC Chairman R.M.A. L. Rathnayake, complained that Premier Amarasuriya told a public rally at Thelawala, Moratuwa, to campaign during the pre-election silence period, which came into effect at midnight on 03 May.
Hettiarachchci has alleged that such advice issued by the Premier undermines efforts being made to bring about a new political culture.
The Premier made the controversial statement at the NPP’s final rally. She was leading the campaign in the absence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is on a state visit to Vietnam.
Polling will commence at 7 am in 13,759 polling stations countrywide. Members are to be elected for 339 Local Government bodies.
According to EC, altogether 75,589 candidates from 49 recognised political parties and 257 independent groups are in the fray. The EC placed the number of eligible voters at 17,156,338.
Police headquarters said that police would be deployed countrywide to ensure an incident-free election.
The last LG poll was held in February 2018.
Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 22.07.2024 to publish the draft bill of State Assets Management Act in the government gazette notification and thereby present it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
However, the draft bill couldn’t be passed in Parliament as a result of the Parliament being dissolved in the month of October 2024.
Thereafter, the draft bill was subject to further inspection by a
committee appointed which comprised of officials and authorities on the subject.
The said Committee has recognized the amendments to be made and a fundamental draft has been prepared including the proposed amendments.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to suspend further activities regarding the draft bill of State Assets Management Act published in the extraordinary gazette of 02.08.2024, and to direct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill based on the fundamental draft prepared by the subject specialists’ committee.
Considering the compliance of the Cooperative Societies’ operations with the concurrent socio – economic circumstances as well as the changes in the common law, the requirement of amending the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 has been recognized.
A fundamental draft including proposed amendments based on the experience gained by that Commission as well as the opinions and proposals of Cooperative societies, their director board members, cooperative employees and other interested parties has been prepared.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative development to provide instructions to the Legal draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 0f 1972, based on the said fundamental draft.
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